Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SHOPPING CART BAGGING STATION AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to retail store fixtures, and, more
specifically, to a bagging
station that couples to a shopping cart.
State of the Art
[0002] A bagging station is a fixture located in a retail store that holds
a stack of shopping
bags, often plastic shopping bags, and dispenses these bags as they are filled
with products a
customer has purchased. The shopping bags are held in a manner and position
such that it is
easy and convenient for a person to open one bag at a time, place purchased
items in the bag, and
then remove the bag and the enclosed products from the bagging station.
Bagging stations have
traditionally been located at checkout stations where customers pay for their
products, because
that is where the products have traditionally been transferred from a shopping
cart to the
shopping bags. With the advent of electronic purchasing and self-checkout,
however, customers
are now able to pay for and bag their products as they shop, and these actions
can occur at
locations besides checkout stations. There is a need for bagging stations in
locations in retail
stores besides at the checkout station.
[0003] Accordingly, what is needed is a bagging station that can be mounted
in a shopping
cart, so that customers can bag their purchases as they shop.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a shopping cart bagging station
coupled to a
shopping cart.
[0005] FIG. 2 shows a front perspective view of a shopping cart bagging
station;
[0006] FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the shopping cart bagging
station of FIG.
2;
[0007] FIG. 4 shows an additional bottom perspective view of the shopping
cart bagging
station of FIG. 2;
[0008] FIG. 5 shows a front perspective view of a shopping cart bagging
station kit; and
[0009] FIG. 6 shows a front perspective view of a plurality of shopping
cart bagging station
elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Disclosed herein are embodiments of an invention related to retail
store fixtures, and,
more specifically, to a bagging station that couples to a shopping cart. The
disclosed shopping
cart bagging station can be used by customers to bag their purchases as they
shop. The shopping
cart bagging station can be made from recyclable materials and is lightweight
and portable. The
disclosed shopping cart bagging station is formed of elements that are each
cut from a sheet of
rigid material such as cardboard. The shopping cart bagging station can be
supplied as a kit,
where the kit includes the sheet of rigid material, with each of the shopping
cart elements
outlined with perforated lines in the sheet of rigid material. The shopping
cart bagging station is
constructed by separating the shopping cart bagging station elements from the
sheet of rigid
material by separating the perforated lines, and then fitting the shopping
cart bagging station
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elements together to form the shopping cart bagging station. The shopping cart
bagging station
elements fit together with slot joints formed by coupling slots in the
elements. The shopping cart
bagging station can be provided to the customer in kit form. The customer can
separate the
shopping cart bagging station elements and construct the shopping cart bagging
station
themselves.
[0011] The disclosed shopping cart bagging station includes a support bar,
a first and a
second mounting structure, and a bag holder hook. The shopping cart bagging
station couples to
a shopping cart, holds a plurality of shopping bags, and dispenses the
shopping bags one at a
time as products are placed in a shopping bag. The first and the second
mounting structure
couple to the support bar, and are configured to couple the shopping cart
bagging station to a
shopping cart. The bag holder hook extends from the support bar, and holds the
plurality of
shopping bags. The first and second shopping cart mounting structures include
a first and a
second shopping bag handle arm, where each of the first and the second
shopping bag handle
arms hold a handle of a shopping bag so the shopping bag is held open and
items can be placed
in the shopping bag. The shopping cart bagging station can be mounted in
various locations on a
shopping cart, making it easy and convenient for a customer to carry and load
a plurality of
shopping bags as they shop. The shopping cart bagging station can be provided
by the retail
store for customer use, much like the use of the shopping cart. Or, in some
embodiments, the
shopping cart bagging station is brought into the store by the customer. The
disclosed shopping
cart bagging station provides a means for a customer to load purchases into
bags as they shop,
instead of having to bag their purchases at a checkout station.
[0012] Disclosed herein is a shopping cart bagging station that includes a
means to hold a
plurality of shopping bags, and a means to removeably couple the means to hold
a plurality of
shopping bags to a shopping cart. The shopping cart bagging station also
includes a means to
hold one of the plurality of shopping bags open for insertion of items into
the shopping bag. In
some embodiments, the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags and the
means to
removeably couple the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags to a
shopping cart are each
stamped from a single rigid sheet of material. In some embodiments, the means
to hold a
plurality of shopping bags and the means to hold one of the plurality of
shopping bags open for
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insertion of items are outlined with perforated lines in the sheet of rigid
material. The material
can be cardboard, plastic, wood, or other lightweight material, and recyclable
so the shopping
cart bagging station is lightweight, easily carried, and can be recycled at
its end of life. The
means to hold the plurality of shopping bags, the means to hold one of the
shopping bags open,
and the means to removeably couple the means to hold the plurality of shopping
bags to a
shopping cart can take many different forms. The examples shown and described
in this
document are not meant to be limiting, and many other variations are possible
in light of the
teachings in this document.
[0013] FIG. 1 through FIG. 6 show an embodiment of a shopping cart bagging
station 610.
FIG. 1 shows shopping cart bagging station 610 coupled to a shopping cart 618.
FIG. 2 shows a
front perspective view of shopping cart bagging station 610. FIG. 3 shows a
bottom perspective
view of shopping cart bagging station 610. FIG. 4 shows an additional bottom
perspective view
of shopping cart bagging station 610. FIG. 5 shows a sheet of rigid material
682 with a plurality
of shopping cart bagging station elements 684 outlined with a plurality of
perforated lines 686 in
sheet of rigid material 680. FIG. 6 shows plurality of shopping cart bagging
station elements 684
which comprise shopping cart bagging station 610.
[0014] Shopping cart bagging station 610 couples to a shopping cart 618 as
shown in FIG. 1
to provide customers a means to bag their items as they shop. A plurality of
shopping bags is
hung from shopping cart bagging station 610. Shopping cart bagging station 610
holds and
dispenses the plurality of shopping bags that are hung from shopping cart
bagging station 610.
One bag at a time is opened and filled with items. Once the bag is full, the
shopping bag is
removed from shopping cart bagging station 610. If further items need to be
bagged, an
additional shopping bag hanging from shopping cart bagging station 610 is
opened and filled
with items. Shopping cart bagging station 610 allows customers a way to bag
their items as they
shop so the customer is not required to visit a checkout station before
exiting the store. The
customer can electronically purchase items, bag their items themselves, and
exit the store
without needing additional cashier or bagging assistance. This simplifies the
shopping
experience for the customer and reduces shopping time.
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[0015] Shopping cart bagging station 610 is formed of and includes a
plurality of individual
shopping cart bagging station elements 684 (see FIG. 6) coupled together using
a plurality of slot
joints 619, as shown in FIG. 2 through FIG. 4. In this embodiment, plurality
of shopping cart
bagging station elements 684 includes four elements, a support bar 622, a bag
holder hook 648
coupled to support bar 622, a first shopping cart mounting structure 614
coupled to support bar
622, and a second shopping cart mounting structure 616 coupled to support bar
622. These items
are coupled together to form shopping cart bagging station 610 as shown in
FIG. 2 through FIG.
4. In some embodiments, shopping cart bagging station 610 includes more than
four elements.
In this embodiment bag holder hook 648 is the means to hold a plurality of
shopping bags, but
this is not meant to be limiting. First shopping cart mounting structure 614,
and second shopping
cart mounting structure 616 are the means to couple the means to hold the
plurality of shopping
bags to a shopping cart, but this is not meant to be limiting. First shopping
cart mounting
structure 614, and second shopping cart mounting structure 616 are also the
means to hold one of
the plurality of shopping bags open for insertion of items, but this is not
meant to be limiting.
The means to hold a plurality of shopping bags, the means to couple the means
to hold the
plurality of shopping bags, and the means to hold one of the plurality of
shopping bags open can
take many different forms.
[0016] Shopping cart bagging station 610 holds and dispenses a plurality of
shopping bags,
often plastic shopping bags. Bag holder hook 648 holds the plurality of
shopping bags. A first
and a second shopping bag handle holder arm 650 and 652 as shown in FIG. 3 and
FIG. 4 hold
the handles of one or more than one of the plurality of shopping bags. When a
user wishes to fill
a first one of the plurality of shopping bags, a bag is pulled open from bag
holder hook 648 and
the handles are held by first and second shopping bag handle holder arms 650
and 652. This
leaves the shopping bag open and hanging by its handles from first and second
shopping bag
handle holder arms 650 and 652. First and second shopping bag handle arms 650
and 652
support the bag and the items placed in the bag. Once the user is done filling
the bag, it is
removed from shopping cart bagging station 610 and the process is repeated
with a next one of
the plurality of shopping bags until all items are bagged.
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[0017] Referring to FIG. 2 through FIG. 5, support bar 622 includes a front
surface 624
(FIG. 2), a rear surface 626 (FIG. 4), a first end 628 and a second end 630
opposing first end
628, as shown in FIG. 2 through FIG. 4. Support bar 622 also includes a top
edge 670 (FIG. 2)
and a bottom edge 672 (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4). Support bar 622 in this embodiment
also includes a
first slot 674, a second slot 676, and a third slot 678, as shown in FIG. 6.
First slot 674 extends
into support bar 622 from top edge 670. Second and third slot 676 and 678
extend into support
bar 622 from bottom edge 672, as shown in FIG. 6. First slot 674, second slot
676, and third slot
678 are used to couple bag holder hook 648 and first and second shopping cart
mounting
structure 614 and 616 to support bar 622, as explained herein.
[0018] Shopping cart bagging station 610 includes bag holder hook 648. FIG.
2, FIG. 3, and
FIG. 4 show bag holder hook 648 coupled to support bar 622. FIG. 6 illustrates
bag holder hook
648 separated from support bar 622. Bag holder hook 648 includes a bag holder
hook slot 649,
and a third cart coupling hook 604 as shown in FIG. 6. Bag holder hook 648
couples to support
bar 622 by sliding bag holder hook slot 649 into first slot 674, forming first
slot joint 697, as
shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4. In this way, bag holder hook 648 is
removeably coupled to
support bar 622 using first slot 674, and bag holder hook slot 649. Bag holder
hook 648 in this
embodiment couples to support bar 622 approximately halfway between first end
628 and second
end 630 of support bar 622. Bag holder hook 648 in this embodiment includes a
bag hook 602
that extends from front surface 624 when bag holder hook 648 is coupled to
support bar 622.
Bag holder hook 648 with bag hook 602 is a means to hold the plurality of
shopping bags. Bag
hook 602 points towards top edge 670 of support bar 622 so that the plurality
of shopping bags
can be hung on bag hook 602. Bag holder hook 648 also includes a third cart
coupling hook 604
(first and second cart coupling hooks 632 and 634 described below) that
extends from rear
surface 626 when bag holder hook 648 is coupled to support bar 622. Third cart
coupling hook
604 couples shopping cart bagging station 610 to shopping cart 618. Third cart
coupling hook
604 is a means to couple bag holder hook 648 and bagging station 610 to
shopping cart 618. Bag
holder hook 648 also includes a third post 661 (first and second posts 660 and
662 described
below) that extends from rear surface 626 when bag holder hook 648 is coupled
to support bar
622. Third post 661 helps keep third cart coupling hook 604 coupled to a rod
of shopping cart
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618. Bag holder hook 648 can take many different forms.- Any form that allows
bag holder
hook 648 to hold a plurality of shopping bags can be used.
[0019] Shopping cart bagging station 610 also includes first and second
shopping cart
mounting structures 614 and 616, as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG.
6. First and
second shopping cart mounting structures 614 and 616 each removeably couple to
support bar
622, and provide both the means to couple shopping cart bagging station 610 to
a shopping cart,
and the means to hold one of the plurality of shopping bags open.
[0020] First shopping cart mounting structure 614 includes a first mounting
structure slot
615, first handle holder arm 650, first cart coupling hook 632, and first post
660, as can best be
seen in FIG. 6. First shopping cart mounting structure 614 removeably couples
to support bar
622 by sliding first mounting structure slot 615 into second slot 676 of
support bar 622, forming
second slot joint 698 (FIG. 2, FIG. 3). Thus, first mounting structure slot
615 couples to second
slot 676 to form second slot joint 698. First shopping cart mounting structure
614 couples to
support bar 622 such that first handle holder arm 650 extends from front
surface 624 at first end
628 (FIG. 3), and first cart coupling hook 632 and first post 660 extend from
rear surface 626
(FIG. 4) at first end 628. First handle holder arm 650 holds a handle of a
shopping bag, which
helps hold the shopping bag open while items are placed in the shopping bag.
First cart coupling
hook 632 hooks onto a rod of shopping cart 618, coupling shopping cart bagging
station 610 to
the shopping cart. First post 660 helps guide the shopping cart rod into first
cart coupling hook
632, and helps hold shopping cart bagging station 610 coupled to the shopping
cart. Thus, first
handle holder arm 650 is a means to hold one of the plurality of shopping bags
open, and both
first cart coupling hook 632 and first post 660 are means to couple shopping
cart bagging station
610 to a shopping cart. First handle holder arm 650 can take many different
forms other than
those shown in order to hold a handle of a shopping bag. First cart coupling
hook 632 can take
many different forms in order to couple shopping cart bagging station 610 to a
shopping cart.
First cart coupling hook 632 can take different forms depending on the
structure of the shopping
cart to be coupled to, for example. First cart coupling hook 632 can take any
form that couples
the means to hold the plurality of shopping bags to a shopping cart.
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[0021] Second shopping cart mounting structure 616 includes a second
mounting structure
slot 617, second handle holder arm 652, second cart coupling hook 634, and
second post 662, as
can be best seen in FIG. 6. Second shopping cart mounting structure 616
removeably couples to
support bar 622 by sliding second mounting structure slot 617 into third slot
678, forming third
slot joint 699 (FIG. 2, FIG. 4). Thus, second mounting structure slot 617
couples to third slot
678 to form third slot joint 699. Second shopping cart mounting structure 616
couples to
support bar 622 such that second handle holder arm 652 extends from front
surface 624 at second
end 630 (FIG. 3), and second cart coupling hook 634 and second post 662 extend
from rear
surface 626 (FIG. 4) at second end 630. Second handle holder arm 652 holds a
handle of a
shopping bag, which helps hold the shopping bag open while items are placed in
the shopping
bag. Second cart coupling hook 634 hooks onto a rod of shopping cart 618,
coupling shopping
cart bagging station 610 to shopping cart 618. Second post 662 helps guide the
shopping cart rod
into second cart coupling hook 634, and helps hold shopping cart bagging
station 610 coupled to
shopping cart 618. Thus, second handle holder arm 652 is a means to hold one
of the plurality of
shopping bags open, and both second cart coupling hook 634 and second post 662
are means to
couple shopping cart bagging station 610 to shopping cart 618. Second handle
holder arm 652
can take many different forms other than those shown, in order to hold a
handle of a shopping
bag. Second cart coupling hook 634 can take many different forms in order to
couple shopping
cart bagging station 610 to a shopping cart. Second cart coupling hook 634 can
take different
forms depending on the structure of the shopping cart to be coupled to, for
example. Second cart
coupling hook 634 can take any form that couples the means to hold the
plurality of shopping
bags to a shopping cart.
[0022] First post 660, second post 662, and third post 661 each have a hole
606 (FIG. 6).
Holes 606 are put in first, second, and third post 660, 662, and 661 so that
first and second cart
coupling structures 614 and 616, and bag holder hook 648 can each be coupled
to support bar
622 or another fixture by a string, strap, or tie. Holes 606 are provided to
help keep plurality of
bagging station elements 684 from being separated from each other.
[0023] With cart coupling hooks 604, 632 and 634 coupling shopping cart
bagging station
610 to shopping cart 618, shopping cart bagging station 610 can be used by a
customer to
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dispense bags as needed while the customer shops. Shopping cart bagging
station 610 can be
coupled to any location of shopping cart 618. FIG. 1 shows shopping cart
bagging station 610
mounted to the interior front of shopping cart 618, but this is not meant to
be limiting. Shopping
cart bagging station 610 can be coupled to the interior or exterior of
shopping cart 618.
Shopping cart bagging station 610 can be coupled to the front, sides, rear,
edges, or bottom of
shopping cart 618.
[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a shopping cart bagging station kit 680. Shopping
cart bagging
station kit 680 includes a plurality of perforated lines 686 that outline and
define plurality of
shopping cart bagging station elements 684. FIG. 6 illustrates plurality of
shopping cart bagging
station elements 684 once plurality of perforated lines 686 are separated. By
designing plurality
of shopping cart bagging station elements 684 to each be cut from a sheet of
rigid material 682,
shopping cart bagging station 610 can be provided to a customer or other user
by providing
shopping cart bagging station kit 680 to the user. Sheet of rigid material can
be cardboard,
metal, wood, or plastic, for example but not by way of limitation. Shopping
cart bagging station
kit 680 includes sheet of rigid material 682. Sheet of rigid material 682
includes plurality of
perforated lines 686. Plurality of perforated line 686 outline plurality of
shopping cart bagging
station elements 684. By separating plurality of perforated lines 686,
plurality of shopping cart
elements 684 are separated from each other and from sheet of rigid material
682. Plurality of
shopping cart elements 684 as separated from sheet of rigid material by
separating perforated
lines 686 as shown in FIG. 6. Plurality of shopping cart bagging station
elements 684 are
assembled to form shopping cart bagging station 610 by coupling bag holder
hook 648 to
support bar 622, and coupling first and second shopping cart mounting
structure 614 and 616 to
support bar 622. Plurality of shopping cart elements 684 can be separated by
hand in some
embodiments, and assembled by hand into shopping cart bagging station 610.
This makes it easy
for a user to transform shopping cart bagging station kit 680 into shopping
cart bagging station
610. By designing shopping cart bagging station 610 to be formed from shopping
cart bagging
station kit 680, a retail store can cheaply and easily provide shopping cart
bagging station kits
680 to their customers or stores, where they can be easily transformed into
shopping cart bagging
stations 610. By forming sheet of rigid material 682 from recyclable material,
shopping cart
bagging station 610 can be recycled at its end of life.
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[0025] Disclosed is a method of forming a shopping cart bagging station
that includes
perforating a plurality of lines in a sheet of rigid material, wherein each
one of the plurality of
lines defines one of a plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements,
and wherein the
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements fit together to form the
shopping cart bagging
station once the plurality of perforated lines are separated. In some
embodiments the method
includes separating the plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements
from the sheet of rigid
material. In some embodiments the method includes separating by hand the
plurality of shopping
cart bagging station elements from the sheet of rigid material. In some
embodiments the method
includes assembling the plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements
into the shopping
cart bagging station. In some embodiments the method includes assembling by
hand the
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements into the shopping cart
bagging station.
[0026] In some embodiments, the method includes designing a shopping cart
bagging station
comprising a plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements, wherein each
one of the
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements is configured to be cut
from a sheet of rigid
material. In some embodiments, the plurality of shopping car bagging station
elements includes
no more than four elements. In some embodiments, the shopping cart bagging
station elements
include a support bar, a bag holder hook, a first shopping cart mounting
structure, and a second
shopping cart mounting structure. In some embodiments, the method includes
designing a
plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements that fit together using a
plurality of slot joints.
[0027] Disclosed is a method of forming a shopping cart bagging station kit
that includes
perforating a plurality of lines in a sheet of rigid material, wherein each
one of the plurality of
lines defines one of a plurality of shopping cart bagging station elements.
The plurality of
shopping cart bagging station elements fit together to form a shopping cart
bagging station once
the plurality of perforated lines are separated. In some embodiments, the
method includes
designing a shopping cart bagging station comprising a plurality of shopping
cart bagging station
elements, wherein each one of the plurality of shopping cart bagging station
elements is
configured to be cut from a sheet of rigid material. In some embodiments, the
plurality of
shopping car bagging station elements includes no more than four elements. In
some
embodiments, the shopping cart bagging station elements include a support bar,
a bag holder
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hook, a first shopping cart mounting structure, and a second shopping cart
mounting structure.
In some embodiments, the method includes designing a plurality of shopping
cart bagging station
elements that fit together using a plurality of slot joints.
[0028] The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in
order to best
explain the present invention and its practical application and to thereby
enable those of ordinary
skill in the art to make and use the invention. However, those of ordinary
skill in the art will
recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for
the purposes of
illustration and example only. The description as set forth is not intended to
be exhaustive or to
limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and
variations are possible
in light of the teachings above.
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